The present invention relates generally to articles such as tools and sport equipment, especially game rackets such as tennis, ping pong and badminton rackets or the like, and more particularly, to a grip for these articles that accommodates the natural physiological characterstics of the human hand. With respect to the game of tennis, its popularity has increased dramatically during recent years. As one result of this popularity there has been a greater awareness of the deficiencies in the construction of conventional tennis rackets. Although much effort has been expended in utilizing new materials for tennis rackets, there has been little attention devoted to the construction of the grips of these tennis rackets.
It is well recognized that a proper grip of the racket by the player is essential in order for the player to be able to hit the ball with accuracy and speed. For an improper grip will lead to missed shots and increase the chances of the player sustaining an injury to his hand or arm. A common occurrence that many tennis players experience is "tennis elbow", a painful condition in the elbow of the arm. Some authorities believe that tennis elbow is caused by the transmission through the arm of vibrations that are generated when a tennis ball is not properly contacted with the racket. These vibrations can be attenuated by providing a grip which is adapted to conform to the natural physiological characteristics of the hand by employing the thenar and ulnar muscle pads as shock absorbers and by utilizing in a balanced manner all of the fingers of the hand to grasp the grip.
It is also becoming evident that the conventional straight grip provided on most tennis rackets actually prevents the racket from being held with the most efficient grip and thus deters quick and accurate movement of the racket to a position where it can strike an approaching tennis ball. These problems occur because the conventional straight grip does not conform to the natural physiological characteristics of the human hand.
Attempts have been made to improve the gripping portion of such articles as screwdrivers and tennis rackets as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,755 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,719. The former patent shows a tennis racket wherein the grip is twisted relative to the hitting section of the racket in order to achieve a better balance of the racket in the hand. This patent, however, fails to recognize the natural polysiological characteristics of the hand and provide a grip to accommodate these characteristics. The latter patent discloses an implement having a gripping portion porvided with an angled rear portion. This patent also fails to recognize the physiological characteristics of the hand. First, the tapered rear portion of the grip fails to utilize the thenar muscle pad at the base of the thumb. Second, the sharp angle of the grip is unsuitable for use with a tennis racket. From its medial position, the wrist can be moved in the ulnar direction through an angle that is almost one and one-half times greater than the angle through which the wrist can be moved in the radial direction. The sharp angle in this patent causes the player to continually force his wrist to its extreme radial deviation in opposition to its natural physiological attributes.
It is the primary object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a grip for a tennis racket or the like that is adapted to accommodate the natural physiological characteristics of the human hand.